Latch



May 13, 1930.-

R. G. MOORE EI' AL LATCH Filed July 8, 1927 INVENTORS Fan 1mm 5. Name%HRTHUR Emub-Jfiunz BY 7 W/ ATTORNEY Patented May 13, 1930 YATES PATENTOFFICE V RAYMOND G. MOORE ARTHUR CLAUD-MANTLE, OF BRID-GEIPORT,CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNORS To THE'BAssICK COMPANY, or BRIDGEPOBT, CONNECTICUT, A Con-- vPORA'IION or CONNECTICUT LATCH Application filed July 8, 1927. Serial110,204,340.

' The present invention relates to latches, and particularly a typeadapted for use with kitchen cabinets, or the like, and has for anobject to provide a latch of this character I which may be formed fromsheet metal, and

which will be very simple and inexpensive in construction and assembly,and efiicient and reliable in operation.

It is particularly proposedto provide a latch having a spring actuatedlatch bolt, and a spring actuated operating handle adapted to haverocking movement in either oneof-two directions to actuate the bolt, andwhich is further adapted to be yieldably retained in its normal positionindependent of the position of the latch bolt, so that it will not dropfrom such position when the bolt is not fully projected. n

It is further proposed to provide a latch construction in whichthe'latch blotand the operating handle are compactly super-imposed uponeach other within the casing in such manner that'thecomplete latch willbe relatively thin and flat in appearance.

A further object is to'provide a latch of symmetrical form, and whichm'ay be used with equal facility on either a right or-left hand door;

With theabove and other objects in view an embodiment of the inventionis shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will behereinafter more fully described with reference thereto and theinvention will be. finally pointed out in the claims.

I In the drawings:

i Fig. 1 is a" plan elevation of a latch, ac-

cording to the present embodimentof the invention. p 7 l A Fig. 2 is abottom plan View thereof. Y

.Fig. 3-

aside elevation.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation. Fig. 5' is a longitudinal sectionalviewtakenalong the line 5.5 ofFig. 1. p i

- .Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view showing, in

full-lines, the position of the'latch bolt with theoperating handle inthe retracted position, the operating handle being moved downwardly, andshowing, in dotted lines, the position of, the operating handle when thesame is moved upwardly to retract the latch comprises a flanged sheetmetal case 20 of vertically elongated shape, raised in spaced relationto the ends, as at 21, and provided in each of the end portionswithholes 22 for engagement of attaching screws, In the forward side flangeof the: casing there is provided a slot 23 for the latch bolt, and'inthe rearward'side flange there is provided a slot opening including'aportion 2a in alignment with the slot 23 and also adapted to receivethe latch bolt, and a slot portion 25 above the portion 24 and extendedat each end with relation thereto and adapted to receive and permitrocking movement of the latch bolt operating handle, as will hereinaftermore fully appear. In one of the end flangesa prong 26 is punchedinwardly and serves to retain the latch bolt spring, hereinafterreferred to. r

. The latch bolt operating handle member comprises a handle portion 27pressed into curved shape and rounded in cross section,

and a flat portion 28 extended through the slot 25 and disposed withinthe latch casing. The portion 28 is provided at itsforward edge withspaced rockingpoints 29, 30, preferably rounded as shown, and adapted toengage the inner surface of the forward flange of the casing above andbelow the latchbolt slot23y-v a Bosses 31,32 are pressed from thesurface of the portion 28 in relation to the rocking points and areadapted to bear upon portions of the latch bolt member hereinafterreferred to. For the purpose of yielda'bly retaining the handle in itsnormal position, and with both rocking points in engagement with ber.

7 the said plate, as at 35, being bent upwardly at its other end, as at36, and extended through the opening 37 in the plate, and en-' gagedwith the perforation 38 provided medially of the portion 28 of thehandle mem- The plate 34 corresponds to the shape of the recess formedat the inner side of the casing by the raised portion 21, and is set inthis recess, thereby protecting and retaining the spring and providing aflat bearing surface upon which the handle member may operate. L Thelatch bolt comprises a fiat rectangular strip of sheet metal 40, ofrelatively heavy gauge, bevelled at its nose end as at 41, and providedat its upper and lower edges with oppositely disposed aligned projectinglugs .or fingers 42, 43, one of these fingers being provided with aperforation 44 for engagement therewith of the bolt actuating spring,hereinafter referred to. {The latch bolt is slidably engaged in theslots 23, 24, with the lugs 42, 43 engaged with. the bosses 31, 32, ofthe latch operating handle, and is yieldably heldin projected position,and against said-bosses, bymeans of a hairpin spring 45. heldwithin thecasing by engagement of one 7 of its end portions, bent as at 46, withthe flange of thecasing, and. having its curved portion inserted andheldbene'ath the prong 26of the casing, its otherend portion being bent,as at 47, into the perforation 44 pro-, vided in the latch bolt.

r The latch bolt is of such dimensions that j r it may be readilyassembled with the casing by,hand,'and for this purpose the distancefrom the nose end 41 to the rearward edges ofthelugs 42, 43 is slightlyless than the in terior width of thecasing, so that by first en:

gaging the tail. end in the slot ,24 to a point where the lugs abutthecasing, the nose end may be inserted in the slot 23, the spring 45bringing the same into the projected position withthe lugs abutting thebosses 3'1, 32

of. the handle member andthereby limiting the projection of the bolt. 7

As shown in Fig. 5, the latch bolt is adapted'to engage a=suitablekeeper 48 provided 'with a bevelled strike portio1i49 adapted,

as the door is closing, to press the bolt inwardly to the point where itentersb'eneath the keeper. During the" pressing in ofthe latch'boltbythe strike the handleqis held against movement by its spring 33, so thatthe bolt has free, easy,and relatively quiet movement, and the handle isat all'times" retained in its aligned normal position and is preventedfrom rattling. The latch bolt is retracted by rocking the handle eitherup wardly or downwardly, asshownin Fig. 6, one of the bosses 31,32acting as a fulcrum cooperating with the casing, about which the handlerocks, while the other boss presses upon its respective lug 42, 43 ofthe latch bolt. In case the bolt is not fully projected when engagedwith the keeper, the handle will at all times be held against loosenessand sagging by its spring 33. In the use of thestrike, as shown, inwhich the latch bolt engaging portion is slightly inclined, the latchwill be so mounted that its normal engaging position is such that it isnot fully projected, so that any variations that may develop, due towarping of the door, or other causes, will be compensated for, and thelatch will at all times function to tightly retain the door closed.Obviously, the latch, according to our invention, may be used uponeither right or left hand doors.

Wehave illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodimentof the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be madetherein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appendedclaims. 7

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is: p 7 1. In a latch, a casing, a latch bolt slidablyengaged in said casing, a handle member having. spaced fulcrum meanscooperating with said casing for independent rocking movement'in one orthe other directions, a spring in the casingengaging the latch bolt fornormally projecting the same, a second spring in the casing engaging thehandle member for normally maintaining the same against rockingmovement, and means cooperating between said handle member and latchmeans for actuating the latter upon said rocking movement of the handlemember in either direction. 7 V

2. In a latch, a casing having abutment portions, movable latch meanscarried by said casing, a handle member having spaced fulcrum pointsengaging said abutment portions of the casing for independent rockingmovement in one orthe other directions, means cooperating between saidhandle member andlatch means for: actuating the latter upon said rockingmovementiof the handle anember in either direction, saidlatch meansmember and latch means for actuating the latter upon said rockingmovement ofithe handle amemberrin either direotion,and spring means nofor yieldably retaining said handle member in its normal inoperativeposition independently of the position of the latch means.

4. In a latch, a casing, movable spring actuated means carried by saidcasing, a handle member having spaced fulcrum means coopcrating Withsaid casing for independent rocking movement in one or the otherdirections, means cooperating between said handle member and latch meansfor actuating the latter upon said rocking movement of the handle memberin either direction, and spring means for yieldably retaining saidhandle member in its normal inoperative position independently'of theposition of the latch means.

5. In a latch, a casing, movable latch means carried by said casing, ahandle member having spaced fulcrum means cooperating with said casingfor independent rocking movement in one or the other directions, meanscooperating between said handle member and latch means for actuating thelatter upon said rocking movementof the handle in either direction, aspring carrying plate supported in said casing and engaged by saidhandle member, a spring secured at the underside of said plate andextended into relation With said handle member for yieldably retainingthe same in its normal position independently of the position of saidlatch means.

6. In a latch, a casing, a flat sheet metal latch bolt slidably engagedin said casing, having transversely aligned projecting lug portions ateach longitudinal edge, a spring in the casing engaging the'latch boltfor normally urging the same outward, a handle member having spacedfulcrum means coopcrating With said casing for independent rockingmovement in one or the other directions, a second spring engaging thehandle member to yieldingly hold said spaced fulcrum means against thecasing, and abutment means carried by said handle member forengagingsaid respective lug portions of the latch bolt and respectively adaptedto retract the latter upon said rocking movement of the handle member ineither direction.

Signed at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut,this 14th day of June, 1927. r a

' RAYMOND G. MOORE.

ARTHUR CLAUD-MAN'ILE.

